Kuromon Market, Dotonbori

Although it was Saturday,
the streets were quiet in the morning.
However, the buildings and street scenery were different from Australia or Korea.
I felt like I was in Japan, Osaka.

I walked down the street to Kuromon Market in Osaka.
I decided to visit Osaka’s local market to experience it.

Since it was early in the morning, many shops were still closed,
but there were many places selling familiar Korean products on the market.
I heard that there are many Koreans and Korean-Japanese in Osaka,
so I frequently encountered Korean influences while traveling in Osaka.

There were many shops with beautiful colors.
It was difficult for me to recognize places without English or Korean.
Instead, I saw a picture and learned that it was a waffle shop with mango toppings.

Kuromon Market had a similar vibe to the international market in my hometown, Busan.
It was fun to explore the market because there was a lot of food to eat.

I continued walking and arrived at Shinsaibashi.
It used to be a theater in the past,
but now it has transformed into restaurants and regular shops for visitors to explore.

There were many Big Camera stores,
and it seemed like a good place to set a meeting point because it was famous.
The tiles on the ground were precisely aligned, creating a neat pathway.

There was a small Statue of Liberty in Osaka,
and someday I want to go to New York and see the Statue of Liberty in person.

There were many ramen shops in Osaka,
and among them, I often saw the famous ‘Ichiran Ramen’.
There are many famous restaurants in Osaka,
but I couldn’t eat everything because I was already full.
Nevertheless, I thought it would be nice to try various things while being in Osaka.

Among them, I wanted to try traditional Japanese ramen,
but instead of ‘Ichiran Ramen’, I planned to have ‘Kin-Yu Ramen’.
I took a picture because the Korean characters displayed caught my attention.

After walking for a while, I arrived at Dotonbori.
The first building that caught my eye was a yellow Ferris wheel-shaped Don Quijote.
You could buy various products at affordable prices,
but instead of going to Don Quijote right away, I decided to walk along the Dotonbori River.

Even though it was December, it wasn’t very cold.
It was a pleasant day for walking when the sun was up.

I thought Dotonbori was a river,
but when I saw the big signboards on the street, I realized that the street itself was Dotonbori.
I thought there would be more people when the shops opened in the afternoon.

The first thing could see when entering Dotonbori is a large moving signboard.
It is the main branch of ‘Kani Douraku’, a specialty crab cuisine restaurant.
The large signboard grabs your attention, and the moving legs give it a lively feel.

Glico is famous in Dotonbori.
I met a Glico statue wearing a Santa suit in the exact pose as the Glico logo on the signboard.
It was delightful.

The Korean characters felt a little unfamiliar.
The second floor is being prepared. (2층이나 자리 준비하고 있습니다.)

I waited until the sunset to meet the Glico statue again.
I had come during the day as well,
but in the evening, with the lights on, the anticipated view appeared.
If come to Osaka, especially Dotonbori, have to take a picture here to prove it.

It wasn’t very cold in the evening either.
I enjoyed Osaka’s evening while walking in the pleasant Dotonbori.

Dec. 12. 2009